ODESSA, Texas (April 26, 2025) – The University of Texas Permian Basin baseball team could not hold a late-inning lead in a 6-3 defeat in game one against Lubbock Christian University, but in game two, the Falcons did not give up the lead thanks to scoring a combined eight runs in their final three offensive innings. In the end, UTPB won game two by a score of 10-6 behind a complete game from Timmy LaChappa, a 3-for-4 effort with four runs scored for Makai DeSoto, and a clutch three-run triple by Kaleb Scull.
 
Game 1 (UTPB 3, LCU 6):

• Two strong defense plays, first by Carson Johnson at second base and then by first baseman Taylor McDaniel practically making a catch in the first base dugout got the game started in the top of the first, but a pair of two-out hits surrounding a costly passed ball that put a runner in scoring position led to the first run of the game for the Chaparrals.
• Nolan LaChappa (5-4) responded with a 1-2-3 second inning; got a big swinging strikeout to strand Brevin McCool, who had doubled with two outs, on second base in the third; and then got another 1-2-3 inning in the fourth.
• Each of those innings saw N. LaChappa throw nothing but strikes as he had a stretch of 28 straight strikes at one point that ended in the fifth inning.
• UTPB had two runners in scoring position with just one out in the bottom of the first inning but came up empty, but after a two-out triple down the right field line by McDaniel in the bottom of the fourth, DeSoto laced an RBI-double to left field to score McDaniel and tie the game at one run apiece.
• Another big swing and a miss for strike three by N. LaChappa, his fifth strikeout of the game, stranded the go-ahead run on third base in the top of the fifth inning.
• A walk by Scull, a single to center field by Jack Haggerty and another walk by Johnson loaded the bases for the cleanup hitter, Brent Rigtrup, with one out in the bottom of the fifth. After fouling off the first pitch, Rigtrup delivered a two-run single through the right side to score both Scull and Haggerty and give the Falcons a 3-1 lead.
• Then with the bases loaded and two outs for DeSoto against a new pitcher, Andrew Duran (6-1), Duran was able to get a flyout to deep left field to prevent further damage and keep it close for the Chaps going into the final two innings.
• It would only take one inning, however, as the Chaps got one run when a lengthy at bat resulted in to a two-out single to right field in the top of the sixth. Then with both the tying run on second base and the go-ahead run on first base, pinch hitter Brock Tijerina battled off a pair of two-strike pitches and singled past a diving Scull at short to score the tying run from second base.
• N. LaChappa was simply put, unable to get the final out of the inning, and after a walk to load the bases, gave way to fellow-senior Bryan Adams. With the bases loaded and two outs in a tie ballgame, Kade York again got one through the left side and just out of the reach of Scull, bringing in two runs. The wheels then came off as an errant pickoff throw by Adams at first base scored another run to make it a five-run inning.
• In the end, the Falcons were one out away from escaping the top of the sixth inning with a lead, but just could not get it done as all five runs in the inning came with two outs.
• Duran recorded six straight outs from the moment he entered with two outs in the fifth inning and allowed just one hit with no runs and no walks over the final 2.1 innings to earn the win for LCU.
• N. LaChappa finished with a line of 5.2 innings pitched allowing seven hits, six total runs, four earned runs, one walk and five strikeouts for UTPB.
• Rigtrup (2-for-4; 2 RBI's) was the lone Falcon with two hits in the game as he added a two-out single to right field in the seventh inning.

 
Game 2 (UTPB 10, LCU 6):

• UTPB stranded singles by Scull and Johnson and came up empty with runners on the corners with one out after a groundball double play to the shortstop to end the bottom of the first inning.
• Rigtrup got his 18th runner caught stealing of the season with a throw out at second for the second out in the top of the second inning, but a two-out triple to field to left field was followed by an RBI-single to left and an RBI-double to right center field to give the Chaps a 2-0 lead.
• UTPB came back with a flurry in the bottom of the second, getting three straight singles to start the inning, including a leadoff single to third base by Dayton Osborn followed by a single though the right side by DeSoto to put runners on the corners for the second inning in a row for UTPB, but this time with nobody out. Andrew Prado then singled to right field, just over the outstretched glove of the leaping first baseman, scoring Osborn and moving DeSoto to third base, where he would score on the ensuing 4-6-3 double play to tie the game at 2-2.
• With the bases loaded and nobody out against T. LaChappa (3-5) in the top of the third, a foul out to third base and a called strike three got it to two outs, and then a flyout to Haggerty in left field got him out of the jam.
• A flyout to right field by McCool in the top of the fourth moved the Chaps' lead runner to third base, making it runners at the corners with one out, and then a sacrifice fly to center field by Jacob Gutierrez scored the go-ahead run to make it 3-2 LCU.
• DeSoto started off the next half inning for the Falcons with a standup double to left center field to lead off the bottom of the fourth. Then with one out and the bases loaded, the Falcons flipped the lineup back over to Scull, who lifted a sacrifice fly midway down the right field line, but just far enough to allow DeSoto to scamper home and tie the game for the second time.
• Haggerty promptly broke the tie with an RBI-single through the hole on the right side as Bode Stewart came around third and dove head first in home plate to make it 4-3 Falcons.
• After getting three straight flyouts to end the top of the fourth, T. LaChappa recorded a 1-2-3 top of the fifth inning.
• Looking to get some insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, UTPB loaded the bases, and with two outs, Ethan Ralph drew a crucial RBI-walk, and then Scull came up clutch again with a bases-clearing triple to right center field to make it 8-3. UTPB scored its four runs in the inning on just two hits.
• Each of those three runs off the bat of Scull proved to be very important as LCU plated a pair of unearned runs in the top of the sixth.
• After Osborn drew a two-out hit by pitch in the bottom of the sixth, DeSoto made it 9-5 with an RBI-double to right center field, and Prado brought in DeSoto with an RBI-single to right field to double up the score (10-5).
• With a five-run lead and 100 pitches under his belt, T. LaChappa went back to work in the top of the seventh. With two outs, the bases loaded and a run already on the board in the inning, T. LaChappa got a called strike three to end it and leave McCool in the on-deck circle.
• T. LaChappa finished with 132 pitches and allowed 10 hits, six total runs, three earned runs, three walks and five strikeouts across all seven innings. It was the fourth complete game and third complete-game win of his freshman campaign. It is also the most complete games in a season for a Falcon pitcher since Donald Wanner had five in 2016.
• DeSoto was 3-for-4 with four runs scored and two doubles.
• Scull was 2-for-4 with four RBI's coming on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning and a three-run triple in the fifth.
• Prado was 2-for-3 with two RBI-singles, a run and a walk.
• Osborn was 2-for-3 with a hit by pitch and three runs scored.
• In game two of the doubleheader, the Chaps went 1-for-5 in bases-loaded situations against T. LaChappa. The Falcons, meanwhile, went 1-for-2, and the one hit was a triple by Scull.

 
Team Records:

• UTPB gets to within one win of a 20-win season (19-30) with one game to go, and moves to 18-29 in the Lone Star Conference. UTPB is 16-11 in its last 27 games and will have a chance to add one more win tomorrow.
• LCU moves to 31-18 and 30-17 and sees its third winning streak of at least seven games come to an end. The Chaps, however, are now locked into the No. 4 seed for the league's postseason tournament.

Next Up: UTPB's final game of the season will start at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 27, from Odessa, Texas.